The dawn of their new normal cast light over the two in bed, fully clothed in oversized pajamas, embracing each other. Neither had been sick for a week. Jake was the first to wake, looking at the blonde's sleeping face and bed head. He shouldn't be doing this. He should push the guy away, like before. His hand brushed hair away from the serene expression, to admire it fully. He thought of his life and his future. The idea of spending mornings like this, in bed together, brought a warm feeling to his core.

Dirk stirred within minutes, yawning and pulling Jake into a cuddle, something that still made the brunette blush as his hand threaded through the blonde's hair. Dirk buried his face in Jake's chest, breathing deeply before pulling away. "Why do you smell so good in the morning?"

"I…don't know?"

"Fucking made some deal with fairy didn't you?"

"Yes, I made a deal with one of the fae to always smell my best in the morning, it was totally worth the price of my personhood and soul."

"Don't be a smartass, it's too early."

"It's 10 AM"

"And that's too early." Jake patted the smaller male's shoulders and lifted his torso off the bed.

"How about we have some breakfast."

"You're cooking."

"Don't I always?" The blonde male gave a tired, exasperated expression in Jake's general direction. "Alright, eggs?"

"Pancakes."

"You got it." There was a lingering moment, a pause two seconds too long. The thread of intimacy was wound taut and for an instant the two could see themselves outside of their experience. Like a person looking into the window and watching them.

Jake made a few noises as he got out of bed, cheerful and upbeat. Dirk sprawled across the bed and wondered what this new arrangement meant.

Jake forced the idea of romance aside, cooking up breakfast for the two of them, when his phone rang. "Hello? Hey! How is everything? Mm-hm. How nice. What? Uh…sure."

Dirk peeled himself off the bed sheets, groping for his shades and walking stick. Making his way down the hall, bumping against the walls more than once, he plopped down into his favorite dining room chair, listening to Jake in the next room. "Okay, sounds like a plan. Uh-huh, see you then. Love you too."

The blonde listened to the shuffling and the clinking of plates, followed by footsteps and the gentle slide of the plate across the table. "Who was that?" Asked Dirk.

"…How have you been sleeping?"

Taken aback by the transparent avoidance, Dirk responded, "Good, really good."

"So, you haven't been bothered by sharing a bed?"

"No, have you?"

"No. Not at all. I was just thinking, it isn't very professional."

"I think that ship sailed a long time ago. It's not like this is a corporate office Jake."

"Right, but what if your siblings paid an unexpected visit?"

"They'd have to deal. It is my life after all. And it's not like we're entangled in some roundabout bullshit romance. We just share a bed. Even if we were caught up in some bullshit, it's our bullshit and they can just fucking deal."

Silence ensued and the two finished breakfast with an awkward brush of fingertips as their hands met at the edge of Dirk's plate. "I'm sorry, are you not finished?"

"No, I'm done. I was just going to take it in for once."

His voice like a tender embrace in Dirk's chest. "Don't worry about it." And then the gentle caress turned into a playful smack, "It's better than buying new dishes again."

"I only broke three!"

"You broke five and two cups. Frankly my dear, you are a giant butter fingers."

"Your dear?"

"….I was paraphrasing from Gone with the Wind."

"Right."

Twenty minutes later, Dirk heard the telltale jingle of Jake's messenger bag and the keys attached to it. "I'm going out to pay some bills….uh….there's something important I need to talk to you about later. It'll have to wait until I get back." The quaver in his voice sent a jolt of anxiety through Dirk.

"Okay, later." The click of the door unleashed a whirlwind of consideration. Had he rethought the relationship? Was he going to ask the blonde out? Was he going to confess his love? Was he going to propose?! No, that's ridiculous, there's no way they'd be ready for that. Or wait, maybe it isn't good news. Maybe Jake has decided the arrangement is too weird. They have been sleeping in the same bed. Dirk thought it was just a natural evolution of circumstances, perhaps Jake felt obligated. Maybe he truly doesn't feel the way Dirk had assumed he felt. Maybe things had just become too weird. Maybe he was going to resign. Dirk was shaking at the thought, he probably ruined everything. That "love you" he heard, Jake probably has a girlfriend or something and here Dirk was being pushy and all Jake wanted was to do his job!

The scenarios only became more outlandish and self-deprecating as time went on. The blonde was left to pace and ponder and re-evaluate every interaction he ever had with his caretaker. He fell into reminiscence, thinking of the kiss, of Jake's sounds through the door of his bedroom, his hot hands massaging medication into his back. He briefly wondered what Jake would look like. It's hard to gauge with no point of reference. He sounded kind, attractive, and a little reckless. His inflections were charming, his hair was soft, and when Dirk felt his face as he cared for the sick caretaker, he noticed a dimple near his chin. Dirk doubted there was anyone more handsome on Earth. Someday, he hoped Jake would open up, accept his feelings (if he really was hiding them), and let Dirk…feel his body. A slow exploration of the contours of his physique. To know every inch of that wonderful human, would be heaven. He sat down at his mixing board and set about creating a piece that would fit Jake, that would in effect BE Jake in a lyrical way.

At some point, the blonde fell asleep, jolted awake by the sound of a slamming door. He wiped the drool from his mouth and fixed his hair, their conversation earlier this morning leaping to the forefront of his mind.

"Dirk? I'm home. The water bill was kind of high, you might want to consider taking shorter sho-"

The mundane topic of day to day life was like skidding wheels in his ears and a hand against his back, urgent and impatient. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, well…you see." The sound of rustling and the gentle squeak of the hard would floor harmonized with the unease in the brunette's voice. Nervousness dripping from his form and feeding a cruel anticipation into Dirk's own.

"M- my- uh?"

A tender thread snapping beneath Dirk's fingertips. "Your what?" His hands raised and with the slightest tremble.

"My grandmother is coming to visit. Dirk, can she stay here? I know it isn't proper to ask and I promise it would be a one-time thing, you can take money out of my salary if you like."

"That's it!"

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked, what with everything between us I just-"

"No!" He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "No Jake, it's fine. Your grandmother is welcome. This is basically your house too. I mean, not legally, but you get what I mean. I'm not taking anything out of your salary." Dirk reached out, a longing for touch as he draped his arms around Jake and petted his hair. "Is that who you were on the phone with this morning."

"Yes, I just wasn't sure how to bring this up." Pent up anxiety Dirk didn't even realize was there released itself from his stomach and he felt empty, leaning on Jake. "Are you okay?!"

"Mm…fine." Honesty? No, partial honesty. "Thought you were quitting, scared me. Asshole." He heard a small chuckle and those familiar muscled arms around his waist.

A delicately tender tone in his ear "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Better not." A hand traced circles in his back and they stood together for some time before finally getting on with their day.